Prison crippled by cyber ransomware attack

The ransomware are the bane of cyberthreats for companies, hospitals and vital infrastructure, such as water networks and energy. There are many examples of attacks, but the one that happened last week in the state of New Mexico in the United States is unprecedented and surprising. In the Bernalillo County Jail, a ransomware affected the computer system which controls all systems. As the computers were encrypted, the security cameras were disabled and the automatic locks of the computers were doors got stuck. In the end, the detainees remained confined to their cells, both for security reasons, since the surveillance video was no longer operational, but also, because it was necessary to manually unlock each cell to get inmates out so that they can carry out their daily outings.

The reverse of Prison Break

The cyberattack not only affected the prison, but also several government departments in the vast Bernalillo County. Thus, the “computer” problems blocked the issuance of certificates marriage, registration on the electoral roll or real estate transaction services. For the moment, investigators have no idea of ​​the perpetrators of this cyberattack, the target of which was undoubtedly not precisely the jail. The penitentiary center underlined in a statement that the detainees will remain confined while the system is restored, but that those who require medical care will be “removed from their cell”. This story gives rise to other legal concerns, and a defender of the rights of detainees was moved by considering that the inability of the authorities to face this type of attack threatens the constitutional rights prisoners.